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Advice from our online forum If you haven't visited "Breaktime," our online discussion group, then you're missing out on a fascinating exchange of ideas, advice, and commentary. You'll find "Breaktime" on our Web site at www.fine homebuilding.com. Listed below are some recent highlights. down a plywood floor for attic storage. Because I'm reducing the width of the joist bays by 1 % in., I'll have Measuring with a tape CREATED BY SOMEGUY: I'm having trouble getting accurate inside measurements (between two walls) with my tape. Does anyone have a good technique? Posted by PM22: I've seen a lot of guys bend the tape back on itself for inside measurements. I don't see how this can be accurate, and it probably damages the tape. A better way is to mark a convenient dimension such as 10 in. or 1 ft. from one side, then measure the other side to the mark, and add them up. Posted by Davo: If you want to talk accuracy, look on the back side of your tape measure. It should tell you how many inches to add to your measurement when extending the tape and butting the case against the opposite inside corner. By bending the tape, you should (if you're a beginner) be within � in. of being right on your mark, and that's plenty good for most carpentry. After a while, getting an accurate measurement by bending the tape will become natural. And I don't think bending to cut the fiberglass batts to fit. This c;eiling also has six recessed Ie (insulation-contact rated) light cans and a bathroom fan. With all of this to work around, would blown-in cellulose insulation be a better option? Posted by csnow: In my opinion, using the blown-in cellulose insulation is your best option. With all the fitting problems you mentioned, cellulose clearly would be a time-saver. The most important thing is not the choice of insulation, but paying great attention to sealing every air leak into the attic. In most structures, the bulk of heat loss is via air leakage, which also is a prime source of moisture problems and ice dams. Posted by JP: I'm using canned foam to seal the penetrations where air passes from the conditioned living space into the attic. I read on another message board to look for dirty fiberglass insulation as a sign of an air leak. Posted by Mongo: You could install the cellulose insulation by hand. It is sold in bales or bags at lumberyards and at most home-improvement centers like The " Look for dirty fiberglass insulation as a sign of an air leak. the tape puts undue strain on it. I've damaged more tapes by retracting them too fast. (Editor's note: See pp. 80-83 for more on this topic.) Making a mark partway and then measuring back is slow and unnecessary. If it's a one-time measurement, and you really want to be sure, then maybe. But if! need razor-sharp accuracy, I use my 6-ft. folding rule with the adjustable slide. Sliding two sticks, also called pinch sticks, against opposite walls and marking them in the middle after each makes contact is another quick way to get an accurate measurement between walls. Insulating a bathroom ceiling CREATED BY PYROMAN: I'm remodeling my bathroom and need to sister the ceiling joists, which also act as rafter ties for the roof, to make the joist bays deep enough for R-30 fiberglass insulation. I plan on putting 46 FINE HOMEBUILDING " Home Depot or Lowe's. Break open the bag, fluff up the insulation a bit, and toss it where you need it. If you want to add a lot, some lumberyards and homeimprovement centers will let you borrow a blower if you buy a certain amount of insulation. Painting cabinet doors CREATED BY PETE: What is the best way to paint cabinet doors without leaving any brush marks? Please don't say spray them. That's not an option at this point. Posted by Jerrald Hayes: You should use an oil-base paint on cabinet doors. Try using Schreuder Hascolac paint (www.finepaints.com). It is by far the best leveling paint out there. You pay through the nose for it, but it really works. Posted by Mongo: Depending on the style of the cabinet doors, sometimes it's easier to roll on the